A Foribben Star
by StolenValentine
Summary: Set in a different universe, not at Hogwarts. What would you do if you were forbidden to enter the city simply because you couldn't pay? If you were forced to live in the forest that's full of trash? What if you fell in love? Follow Hermione as she falls in love with the one person she shouldn't. The same person that's been sent to kill her and her kind.


**Authors Note: **So basically I wrote this as an assigment for English. We were supposed to write a star crossed lovers story so here is my version. I tweaked it a bit so it would be a Dramione fanfiction since I do like how it turned out. It isn't amazing but I'm happy with it. I had this couple in mind when I wrote it for school but obviously didn't use the names. I went through it quickly so I appologize if a name isn't write or somethings out of place. Hope you like it :)

**Word count without authors note: **4,029

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For every couple who truly fell in love, their story became a star so it could forever live on my mother told me when I wondered about stars as a child. Why was the daytime sky blue while the night became black? Had it done something wrong? Was that why it was so dark with very few people to look up at it? I often thought about the sparkling dots of silver that sprinkled across the horizon like the flecks of blue in my eyes.

Every girl wants a memory of a New Year's kiss, to hear the clock strike twelve and feel your special someone's lips on yours. Too bad that wasn't what waited for me tonight. I never saw myself as beautiful but Ginny could work wonders. Tonight as people counted down to midnight, I would be at a party I wouldn't be invited to if Ginny hadn't been my friend. Her name reminded me of where I was as she moved to tweak her own or my appearance.

The girl in the mirror couldn't be me. Tanned skin usually covered in filth was now clean, showing no signs of its usual markings. Tangled and bushy red hair the shade of blood had been combed out and curled into ringlets falling to past my waist. If I moved my head it sort of looked like red leaves floating to the ground. Grey eye shadow had been applied above mascara thickened eyelashes. Black silk stuck close to the slight curve of my upper body, flowing out in small ruffles from my waist until my knees. The off the shoulder strap kept the neckline appropriate. I looked beautiful and innocent, like I had done nothing wrong.

"You look good, stop worrying" Ginnys girlish voice interrupted my gawking at myself. Ginny herself looked stunning with her straight orange-red hair, done up in an elegant twist. A strapless dress of pure gold stuck close to her skin, stopping at mid-thigh while her makeup made her eyes pop. We are complete opposites. She a petite girl who was outgoing, and bubbly she simply radiated confidence. While I was of average height and thin with dark hair of an unusual colour and bright green eyes. I tried to stay out of the spotlight, choosing to hide among the trees instead.

I shouldn't even be going to this party. According to the city I did not exist and neither did the hundreds of others in the forest beyond the tall city gates. We were infected. A few hundred years ago the earth became too polluted for humans to live the same way. The few clean spots became the cities. Socialization between them was hard. If you couldn't afford to live in them, you're flawed and not legally in society. Their simply called the ostracized, meaning the excluded. I'm one of them.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts I took a last look in the mirror. Tomorrow I would be back to normal. Hoping to god that the Seekers didn't find anyone I cared about. The Seekers were an elite group of warriors hired by the government. Trained at a young age to find and kill the ostracized. Known to be merciless we avoided them at all costs.

Ginny led me out of her small apartment and down the road towards the party. It wasn't far away so we could walk. I may look like I fit in but my mindset wasn't as carefree and joyful as those who strolled in the building along with us.

The ballroom was amazing and extravagant. Music filled the air as we entered; I had to fight to keep the awe off my face. The room was filled with shinning decor. The dance floor was huge, with people already starting to fill it while others mingled near the tables and food. A nudge from my friend signaled me to stop staring and follow her.

The night seemed to drag on after that. Ginny had attracted many boys who offered to dance with her. I noticed that she paid particular attention to a tall man with shaggy black hair. His bright eyes remained glued on her even after the danced, like he never wanted to see her walk away. Basically I got left in the corner of the room at a small table near the back. I didn't mind not being the center of attention, however I knew nobody here and they didn't know me. So as people danced on the floor nearby, their skirts twirling around their legs or held loud drunken conversation near me, I remained alone.

A hand in my vision suddenly appeared. "Care to dance?" a distinctly male voice asked. Looking up from my lap my eyes widened a little. This man offering his hand to me looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine. Short yet purposely messy blonde hair fell into his grey eyes. The expensive looking suit he wore showed he was another higher class man attending this party yet his physical appearance begged to differ. He was muscular and lean in ways that city boys weren't. In my examination of him I had forgotten to answer. "You know it's rude to keep someone waiting while you stare at them" he stated in a teasing tone.

"Sorry, but I can't dance well," I began, "I'd just end up embarrassing myself and you."

"How about we keep it simple? I'll put it this way; I'm not leaving until you agree"

I didn't seem to have a choice. Taking his hand I allowed him to lead me to the floor. The grin on his face was surprising, what boy was happy to dance with me? The band struck up a new slow song. Couples flocked to the floor while others slipped away to the tables. With one hand on my waist and the other holding mine he began to sway, occasionally taking steps in a random direction. The smile never left his face though it was somewhat shyer.

As the song ended I heard people counting. My eyes flew to the clock, 11:59. I had to leave just after midnight; the patrols near my escape would start soon. If I didn't beat them there I couldn't leave the city. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, new year" The voices faded as people kissed those around them. The last thing I expected was him to kiss me, but he did. Though short and chaste it was like a fairy tale kiss. Pulling away he smiled and walked away. Was my shocked face nothing?

Remembering my dilemma about the guards I rushed to leave. The kiss momentarily escaped my brain as I hurried from the room. The good thing about leaving near midnight was the mostly empty streets. My footsteps echoed loudly as I ran down the sidewalk, my hair bouncing against my back. Just beyond Ginnys' apartment was a hole in the fence, I slipped through it. The fenced wiring caught my arm, leaving a small cut. A mark would be nothing but a souvenir of what I had pulled off.

When I got home my mother fretted over me. Hurrying me into the kitchen she examined the cut all the while talking very quickly. She hadn't wanted me to go but hadn't stopped me. It was my one chance to be normal before my birthday. When you turned eighteen in the city you were officially an adult and required to get a job and marry. Out here it meant you were too old to have a chance now of escaping this life. If Seekers find a young person they may be sympathetic and take them into the city. At a young age you're too naïve to really understand why you're out here so it's easy to mentally brainwash you to forget. At eighteen you have no hope.

"Why were you late? How was the party? Did anyone see you leave? Did you dance with anyone? How did you cut yourself? "My mother's questions went from worrying about me to asking about the party all in one jumbled mess.

"Mom, I'm tired. I'll tell you about it in the morning" was all I told her before leaving the kitchen and slipping into my 'room'. Technically it wasn't a room; it was a hollowed out part of the cave where I slept. My family stayed in a cave, deep into the mountain side. It was the safest place to hide as the actual entrance had been landslide over years ago so the city still believed it was covered.

After changing out of the dress I curled up under the old blankets, hoping that sleep would come easily. As I drifted off the thought of that boy from the party entered my head. I remembered his mysterious eyes, shy smile and seemingly graceful movements. I remembered that he had kissed me. It was highly unlikely that I would ever see him again.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that the event happened. I saw him again and he saw me. Only it wasn't a good kind of meeting. I had been out, far away from my home when it happened. I'd been so lost in my thoughts that I didn't really notice anything until I heard the yelling. Children were crying and screaming nearby, sounding like they were near the river. What I saw when I got there was unexpected. The normally misty river was crowded with children, most likely bathing, staring at the far shore. The sand was stained red with blood. Blood that was coming from an elderly man lying back on it with a blade embedded in his chest. A seeker stood over him staring at the kids. I couldn't tell whether he wanted to kill them or take them. Either way I couldn't risk it so I did then only thing I could. I chucked a rock straight at him.

Striking the side of his head he staggered. He clutched the side of his head before facing me. The kids ran from the water, disappearing into the forest. I was now his only target. So I did the only thing I could, I turned and ran. Before he could see my face or me his I was sprinting. Through the trees I could hear his footsteps pounding after me and my own heart beating, my hair falling slightly from its ponytail to fly in the wind. The branches flew by around me and cut at my skin.

Without warning I was falling, his weight having slammed into my back as he tackled me. I wasn't seeing those precious moments of my life as I fell towards the ground. All I saw was the dry, cracked dirt in front of my face and the thought of my mother crying if I died.

The slow motion moment ended as we both hit the ground, hard. The air leaving my lungs as we rolled in the dirt; he was trying to get a grip on my arm while I feebly tried to get away. My head slammed against the ground as he managed to pin me. I probably would die; Seekers didn't just leave you alone, it went against their nature. I looked up hatefully only to see familiar grey eyes staring into mine.

My heart stopped as we both froze. How was the boy from the party here? Seeing him again was unlikely but this was completely different. He was a Seeker! The boy who had been in my head since that night was now staring down at me, wearing the uniform of those who killed my kind. A voice echoed in the sudden silence of the clearing.

"You're an ostracized?" Disbelief filled his voice.

"Yes, and you're a Seeker." I stated.

He moved off of me, but he still had a firm grip on me. Sitting beside me he kept staring at my face, trying to see if I was who he thought. He made no move to kill me nor did he let me go. He was skeptical. Yanking my arm free I stayed sitting. Against my better judgment I sat in the dirt, my eyes analysing any move he made. The only one that I gained from the party was the connection I felt to him, I couldn't bring myself to run away.

We were both at a loss for words as we stared at each other. A few times he opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. It was award and strange. It figured, the one boy I let myself feel something for is supposed to kill me. "If you're not going to kill me can I go?" I asked

He raised an eyebrow at my request. "The girl that I feel something for is asking me to let her walk away?" he asked before laughing. The bright sound filling the silence, I never imagined someone like him laughing; they always seemed so cold and unfeeling. Wait! Did he say he felt something for me?

I nodded but my mind seemed stuck on his words. "You have feelings for me?" I asked my voice questioning. Swallowing I stood, ignoring his look of confusion as he did the same. Words sprang into my head, things I could say or do to push him away as he stepped closer to me.

"Look, I don't know your name and you don't know mine. I know that what happened at that party was not a mistake; I kissed you for a reason," He started, " I needed to find out if what I felt when I first saw you sitting alone wasn't just a trick being played on my mind. I was drawn to your beauty but stayed to see the secrets hidden in your eyes. The way you looked around in both awe and contempt, like you hated the fact that you were there but couldn't leave. Every moment with you that night is implanted in my head. You're always in my head, all we did was dance and kiss once, no girl has even been able to spark that emotion in me before. I want to know why I'm drawn to you. Will you allow me to do that?"

Once again I honestly had no words for him. I was never going to say I like you or I love you right away but I couldn't ignore something rare was between us. Biting my lip I tried to find an answer in the muddled mess that had become my mind. Did I take the risk or did I flee?

"Hermione," I managed out in a quiet tone, "My name is Hermione."

The brilliant grin that lit up his face was startling. All I had done was say my name, nothing else. I suppose you could view that as me allowing him to find out what was there. Something between people like us? It couldn't work in our society, something would tear us apart. Never the less I couldn't bring myself to say no.

"Draco" was the name he gave me in return.

We stayed like that for a while just talking about anything and everything. What life was like, favourite colour, what season we liked, siblings, etc. It had felt odd to share so much with someone who was a virtual stranger. When I voiced this to him he had laughed and responded "If we get to know each other we won't be strangers anymore." He had a point. Too soon we both realized we had to leave, he to return to the city and me to my home. I didn't tell him where that was and made him leave first. I wasn't going to jeopardize my family over him.

Just like that it continued for a few weeks. We would sneak away, meet somewhere and talk. Deep down I still worried about being caught but I wanted to know more about Draco. He intrigued me and I discovered we shared similar interests. We never talked about his job. He had asked once if I wanted to know but I shook my head. I don't know if I can handle what he does to my kind of people. It was like a gazelle thinking of the others that have been killed as its being stalked.

We were safe for longer than I ever expected. Then we just the tiniest bit sloppier and the dreaded happened. Someone had followed us and we hadn't noticed. Not until he found the footsteps the next day while tracking with other Seekers. The shoe prints lead away from where we had been the day before, or so he told me. It didn't matter if it was another Seeker or some of the Ostracized who found us together, either side would kill us. They wouldn't care why; they would only see the betrayal. My family would never forgive me if they knew that their eldest daughter was seeing their worst enemy.

He had tried to play it off as a not a big deal but I knew it was. I know my worry showed on my face. He tried, he really did but even he couldn't comfort me before we parted. He was good at hiding his emotions but I could see the worry shadowing in his eyes. Unlike me he had been trained to analyse details. We had been caught; no doubt about it. Would I even be able to see him again?

My fears seemed to grow worse every passing day. Hiding his fear for my sake he tried to make me laugh, to make me forget about it, with him I could. Except when I was alone, they would all come flooding back. The longer nothing happened, the worse it would be. It was like when you jump off of a cliff into the water. The longer you plummet, the deeper you sink.

Days went by and I couldn't get my anxiety out of my head. There wasn't a way this could continue while someone watched us. It had been like a thousand eyes were watching me. They would always seem to be there for as long as we kept meeting. Where we suppose to choose? He would pick me that much was obvious. I was the one undecided. Did I risk it all for a boy I barely knew or did I save us both from the downfall?

As I walked towards our newest meeting place my pace was slow. Every step meant I was both closer to him and closer to straying from my decision. We couldn't keep risking our families for an attraction that went without promise. Every moment we spent together was both heaven and hell, it was forbidden for us to be together. He was supposed to kill me; perhaps he should have.

It seemed like second until I was in front of him. Typically he would greet me with a hug but today he just stood there somberly. His sad eyes that refused to meet mine told me what happened. It had been a Seeker watching us. Any minute they would come tear us apart, making one watch as the other died. I knew I would be the one that killed; he had broken a sacred law after all.

The little time we had seemed suspended as he met my eyes, grey clashing with the vibrant green. No words were said as he crossed the space between us to pull me close. We both knew this was it; only one of us got to walk away. People liked me didn't get happy endings. I had been a fool. Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want to illusion destroyed. Right now mine was shattering as I listened to his heart beat as I was crushed against his chest.

"I'm not saying goodbye. Because saying goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting. I'll never forget you Hermione, never! You were the first girl to make my heart beat slower and faster at the same time. When we first met I had no idea how important you would be to me. Before I met you my emotions were on lockdown and I never let anyone close. I don't regret letting you in even if my heart now breaks because of it. They can take you away but every moment we spent together will always be in my mind, it'll never leave because I can't forget you, I won't. I won't find anyone else because it'll be settling, I will never settle for anything less than you. I love you 'Mione." His voice broke on his last few words as he whispered them in my ear.

I couldn't speak as the tears began falling down my face to soak his shirt. Here was a boy who just said the most romantic and meaningful goodbye ever and all I could do was cry. He was so perfect but the only moment we could get now was this one, a last chance to say goodbye. He managed a speech that I would always remember

Breaking our moment, the Seekers burst into the clearing. Tearing us apart they grabbed him only to push me backwards. Their eyes were so heartless, unlike his that were filled with warmth. Their dark clothing was stained with blood; like mine would be soon. My death would mean nothing to them. While the circumstance was rare my death would still be pointless. I wasn't different but Dracos' words told me to him I was as extraordinary as they came.

Instants later I was staring down the barrel of a gun as someone spoke. The words didn't register in my mind as I locked eyes with my love. All I got was something about this is the consequences of defiance. Someone would know why I died, that it had been for love. Death has always walked towards me; today it met me because I chose to love. I would never regret it.

The gun exploded against my temple, his yell broke through my mind. The bullet tore through me before I hit the ground. The grass around me was soft and bright green unlike the fake stuff in the city. The budding foliage would be forever stained a crimson red.

I could see him break free and run towards me, screaming my name. Faint bird songs echoed in my ears as his distressed face appeared over me. Splashing against my face were his cold tears as he cried. Running down my face in intricate patterns, the distinct taste of salt imbedded itself in my pale lips. As my vision grew darker I tried to utter a few words to him but I was too weak to do so. Desperately I hoped that he already knew. His face would be the last thing I would ever remember seeing. Finally all that I could see was the inky blackness that reminded me much of the night sky.

My life never flashed before my eyes, not a second of it. The only thing I saw was his face and his tears. The ones he was crying for me, just a silly girl that he said he loved. For a boy to cry over a girl she had to have meant something to him. It touched me that he seemed to care that much. Death was taking me rather quickly yet I wasn't worried, Draco would live. The Seekers were false in thinking that my death would make him obedient, it would only allow him to see the goodness in others that his fellow kind couldn't. I only wished I could see him do it. Before I stepped across that thin border between living and dead, I paused. I felt his lips touch mine in a final farewell kiss. I could feel his tears splashing on my skin and taste the salt on our lips. Something occurred to me as I stepped into the light of heaven.

_I didn't want the moon or the stars; I wanted him and his love. _


End file.
